STMicroelectronics Extends Space-Qualified Power Portfolio with Highly Integrated Configurable RHRPMPOL01Point-of-Load Converter

STMicroelectronics has added a QML-V qualified 7A Point-of-Load (PoL) DC/DC converter to its growing portfolio of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) integrated power products that deliver high power efficiency to satisfy the most demanding space applications.

The RHRPMPOL01 is a complete PoL converter, including N-channel power MOSFET and bootstrap diode, with under-voltage, over-voltage, over-temperature, and adjustable over-current protection in a compact Power FLAT-28A hermetically sealed ceramic package that has a very low junction-to-case thermal resistance to maximize power dissipation.

The qualified device, Standard Microcircuit Drawing (SMD) 5962-28208, is Radiation Hardness Assured (RHA) up to 100krad(Si), and Single Event Latch-up (SEL) and Single Event Snap-Back (SESB) free up to 70Mev.cm2/mq. Single-event upset (SEU) and single-event functional interruption (SEFI) are characterized at 7V operating voltage. The complete radiation report is available upon request.

The RHRPMPOL01 allows both synchronization and current sharing, making it an ideal companion chip to the most demanding loads such as FPGAs, microprocessors, and ASICs. The synchronization feature allows dephasing multiple PoLs to minimize both the peak current of the application boards and the output ripple, ensuring high accuracy. Synchronized devices can operate with independent outputs for loads that require different voltage levels, or with tied outputs to supply high-current loads, in this case leveraging the accurate current-sharing functionality.

With a high absolute maximum supply rating of 14V, the RHRPMPOL01 converts an input voltage in the range 3.0V to 12V to an output voltage that can be set from 0.8V to 85% of the input voltage value. The 0.8V minimum output allows the converter to provide power for advanced devices that operate at low supply voltage.

Based on peak-current-mode control, the RHRPMPOL01 is easily stabilized using external components and ensures fast load-transient response. The switching frequency is programmable from 100kHz to 1MHz, while both programmable soft-start duration and delay allow designers to limit the inrush current. An Enable pin simplifies power sequencing and a Power-good pin provides real-time information on output-voltage status.

Leveraging ST’s BCD6s SOI process technology, which provides proven resilience against single-event effects, the RHRPMPOL1 has been developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French Government Space Agency, CNES.

The RHRPMPOL01 is in production now and is supported by a comprehensive ecosystem that includes the EVAL-RHRPMPOL01 evaluation board and user guide, PSpice models, and documentation including radiation reports. Please contact your local ST office for pricing and sample requests.